The scholar group covered their table in colorful neon confetti; prizes in the forms of slinkies, assortments of colorful markers, blow pops; a bucket full of water with an (empty) shot glass floating at the bottom; and a large sign announcing the scholars’ table in a friendly greeting. The Athletic and Fitness Center soon swarmed with volunteers, teachers, and pizza. 90s music reverberated across the open gym floor. We were ready for Chatham University’s first Relay for Life to begin.
The Scholars Advisory Board (SAB) recruited fellow scholars to welcome students, teachers, and guests to their table the evening of November 4, 2011, from 4pm that evening until the early hour of 4am. Ashleigh Fox, a sophomore at Chatham and a member of SAB and the Scholars Program, proposed the idea to the Board. This resulted in scholar participation at the event to raise money for cancer research and patients, and to honor those who fought and lost their lives to the disease. With little time to prepare, SAB came out with the idea of a simple coin drop—hence the bucket full of water with the shot glass at its center. The concept was simple: using nickels, dimes, or quarters, one would try to drop their coin directly into the shot glass while having to aim through a bucket full of water. The amount of money that landed in the shot glass dictated the prize one. This coin drop was harder than it sounds; I tried unsuccessfully several times, and most people often got splashed with water from the dropped coins. It was often the younger donators who managed to sink the most coins in the glass and walk away with the best prizes.
But besides getting a little wet, Relay for Life at Chatham University was a success. An amount of $12,000 was raised in twelve hours. Professor Mary Kostalos, a survivor of cancer who currently teaches at Chatham University, gave a speech on behalf of cancer research, survivors, families, and victims, and then led students, faculty, and guests for a lap around the gym their honor. Hopefully Relay for Life will continue at Chatham University and the scholar participation in fundraising can become a yearly tradition.